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Meet the real Bat Boy: Mitch McCarrell

Looking younger than you are always is a blessing. And it has been for actor and singer Mitch McCarrell, who has played more than his share of fresh-faced, energetic teenagers.

Take, for example, his current starring role as Edgar (aka Bat Boy) in the Idaho Shakespeare Festival’s production of “Bat Boy: The Musical.”

OK, maybe Edgar – a half bat, half boy who is discovered living in a cave outside of Hope Falls, W.Va. – isn’t so fresh of face. There are fangs and pointy ears. But McCarrell’s energized and layered performance elevates the character beyond the obvious and into the realm of heartfelt.

He’s also playing his first adult character in his ISF debut: Starveling, the nattily dressed, persnickety tailor in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Now, to be fair, Starveling is still boyish and given to a tight-lipped tantrum or two. But still, it’s progress, he says.

He’s been playing the two characters in repertory this summer. “Midsummer” and “Bat Boy” both wrap up later this month.

Q: Who is Edgar, the Bat Boy? How did you create your character?

A: You will find that the show constantly references popular culture. (And so does Edgar.)

Edgar is a rock and roll vampire. Fed by his host mother’s love (and by an occasional live varmint), he is taught the way of the world. Read full article